Epic Games Details New Features For 'Fortnite' Version 3.0 (Updated)

Update, 2/22/2018, 8:35 a.m. PST: Season three is underway. You can read the full patch notes for 'Fortnite' version 3.0 on the game's website.

Original story, 2/22/2018, 6:40 a.m. PST:

Epic Games will drop the 3.0 update for Fortnite this week, which brings with it the start of another season of competitive gameplay. Before season three starts, the studio revealed more information about improvements to the game's building mechanics, the pump shotgun, and Battle Pass.

In the game settings you’ll find new options, which should make it easier for you to create different structures. With Turbo Building you can hold down the primary fire button to instantly build and place multiple copies of a structure. This is helpful if you want to quickly build a shelter for protection against gunfire, for example, or create a long set of stairs to get to higher ground. You can also turn on the option for Automatic Material Swapping, which, as the name suggests, will automatically switch between your resources if your current material runs out.

Epic Games also made it easier for players to build through large objects, which should alleviate the frustration of being unable to build because the environment got in the way. You’ll still need to be wary of where you place objects, however, because custom structures still need support from terrain or buildings. Those playing the game's popular Battle Royale mode will also notice a smoother process when switching to different building materials. Epic Games will implement this feature to the player-versus-environment mode in Fortnite at some point in the future.

Many players complained about the strength of the pump shotgun, which boasted high damage and a fast reload time, making it overpowered. With the new update, Epic Games announced on Reddit that it will balance the weapon with a new mechanic that requires you to pump the weapon if you fire it and immediately switch to another item. On Twitter, the studio also teased the arrival of a new weapon, the hand cannon.

The arrival of a another season also means that a new Battle Pass, which provides exclusive rewards at each tier (there are now 100 tiers with the new update), is available. Compared to the 46 rewards in the previous season, this new pass will give you a total of 76 items, which range from additional outfits, gliders, and banners. If you want to unlock the pass at a faster pace, you can buy the Battle Bundle for 2,800 V-Bucks (in-game currency) to get access the next 25 tiers. If you don’t want to spend any money, you can opt for the new Weekly Challenges. In order to unlock your rewards, you need to complete four of the seven challenges.

Fortnite, especially its Battle Royale mode, continues to grow in popularity, which makes it a major contender to Bluehole’s PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The full patch notes for version 3.0 aren’t available yet, but these sneak previews gives fans an idea of what to expect in what should be another exciting season for Epic Games’ early access title.